


Meet-Cute

by Too_Many_Seeds



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 16:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16747879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Too_Many_Seeds/pseuds/Too_Many_Seeds
Summary: The newest deputy of Hope County is called to a public disturbance and encounters the youngest Seed brother, who seems far more interested in her than she would have liked. Pre-Game.





	Meet-Cute

**Author's Note:**

> A user on tumblr described this as a "meet cute, but creepy" and I loved that description so much.

The car door slammed shut behind them, loud in the otherwise quiet parking lot. Muffled voices and the thrumming of music could be heard from the closed diner entrance and Rook leaned back on the balls of her feet, eyeing the establishment warily.

Pratt followed as they approached the front door, and they could hear the muffled voice of a man, and the disgruntled chatter surrounding him. The diner was warm inside - almost uncomfortably so - and she winced as she immediately heard shouting.

Inside, a man stood on the stage, but he was certainly not the usual gig performer. His hair was pulled tight into a bun, and she vaguely recognised his face from images plastered around the office.

“Fucking hell,” Pratt muttered, taking in the scene with a grimace. He put his hand on her shoulder and motioned towards the door. “You stay here, just… keep watch for now.”

Rook almost wanted to protest, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to overstep her boundaries as an observing newbie. She sidled up to the doorway, crossing her arms in what was perhaps an attempt at being intimidating and leaning against the wall as she surveyed the crowd. People were…disgruntled, at the very least; muttering angrily amongst themselves and shooting dark glares at the preacher. Rook knew that there was understandable irritation about church-goers interrupting Friday night’s Happy Hour to preach about the end of days, but there was a tense and almost malicious undercurrent to this crowd that had her frowning.

Maybe it was the alcohol.

“Joseph Seed, I need you to step down,” Staci was calling out to the man, who had paused his reading from a pale book the moment they had entered. Her fellow Deputy had one of his hands by his hip in a show of faux confidence, but she couldn’t help but notice its proximity to his firearm.

The preacher turned to him and gave him a once-over before inclining his head and taking a step down towards the floor. He glanced up quickly before reaching the base level and his eyes scanned the room, finally landing on her. She felt a sudden chill run through her, wondering how a man could hold such an energy as he stared at her; eyes knowing and with such a sense of familiarity that she thought they must have met somewhere before.

“I don’t believe we’ve met.”

She was drawn out of her thoughts by the voice next to her, and she glanced to her left to see a man holding out a drink to her. He wore a coat that seemed to have the tiniest detailed planes embroidered onto it and she gave a moment to appreciate the sheer time and effort that would have gone into such a frivolous design.

Rook stared at the drink in his outstretched hand; the liquid bubbling slightly.

“It’s lemonade,” the man said, flashing his teeth in what was meant to be a charming smile. Were it not for the sharpness of his eyes, she might have thought him innocent.

“No, thank you,” Rook replied, crossing her arms over her chest and pointedly not accepting the glass. “But you’re right; we haven’t met before.”

“Ah,” he smiled and set aside the glass on the nearby table before wiping his hand down on his jacket and holding it out politely. “John Seed. Pleasure to meet you.”

She frowned at the surname and though she really didn’t want to, she clasped her hand in his and shook slowly.

“Rook,” was all she gave in response. Her eyes flitted over to the opposite side of the room where she could just see Staci in the adjoining kitchen having a soft word with the preacher. “Interesting surname. Your brother, I assume?”

He followed her line of sight and then gave her a slight, funny smile.

“Is this an interrogation?” John asked, tilting his head in a show of casualness, but there was such a sharpness in his gaze that he could never truly feign indifference.

She glanced over at the untouched glass of lemonade on the table.

“If it was?” Rook asked, flicking her eyes back up to his.

“ **Well then arrest me, officer** , and you can have all the answers you want,” John replied softly, _easily_ as a lawyer was wont to do, and her eyes narrowed. Was he trying to provoke her? Her, a Deputy who didn’t want to push her probation period by making any random arrests. She stared at him, trying to maintain as much of an aura of sternness as she could manage for someone of her stature.

Around them, the nearest crowd had begun to take notice of their exchange. There were mutterings, and they were openly watching the unimposing Deputy trying to stare down _the_ John Seed. After a beat, John chuckled, and held his hands up in a mock surrender.

“I’m joking, of course,” he said, and his entire demeanour seemed to shift and become warmer.

The nearby crowd appeared to be placated and she spared a brief moment of gratitude to whatever deity was watching over her that her new Sheriff wouldn’t be hearing little whispers of a brazen and trigger-handy new Deputy this night. The man across from her picked up the glass of lemonade and took a sip, either not willing to let it go to waste, or trying to convince her that it wasn’t spiked.

“You’re correct, my dear,” John Seed continued, gesturing towards the kitchen with a nod of his head. “That is my brother, Joseph. In fact, speaking of brothers, over _there_ ”- he paused for a moment and pointed over to the back entrance of the diner, where a camo-decked man stood, eyes trained on the two of them - “is my _eldest_ brother, Jacob.”

Jacob Seed did not seem to even be bothering to try and be subtle. There was a brightly coloured handgun holstered at his thigh, and when he was satisfied that she had seen him, he resumed his observation of the kitchen; glowering through the peek of the doorway at her colleague, still trying to sort out the disturbance with Joseph.

“He have a licence for that gun?” Rook asked her companion, eyeing the holster warily.

John Seed gave an amused grin and took another sip of the lemonade.

“Oh, aren’t you charming?” There was a tone of condescending to his voice that should have irked her, but it unsettled her instead; she did not quite think this was the usual cut of man who bore empty arrogance. He flashed her a grin, leaning forward almost conspiratorially. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Deputy; though I may be a public figure within my brother’s… _church_ , before this, my profession was”-

“A lawyer,” Rook interrupted smoothly, _confidently_ , almost daring him to call her wrong. “You were a lawyer.”

His eyes sharpened for a moment, dropping his pretense of casual indifference as he gave her another, more analysing stare. Rook had the vague sense that she had done something wrong; perhaps not offensive, but she had somehow taken a false step, somehow gained the wrong sort of attention.

“So you _have_ heard of me?” John asked, with a genuine tone of curiosity in his voice.

There was an instinct roiling inside of her, trying to make her shut up and be dismissive, but the proud little junior Deputy simply couldn’t resist her chance to show off, to flex her experience at this man who condescended her and thought to toy with and intimidate her.

“No, I haven’t,” she said, and it was an honest answer. She gave him a deliberate once-over, and smiled almost dismissively. “I’m just well-acquainted with your type.”

Rather than offended, he huffed out a laugh; eyes glinting with genuine amusement.

“Oh? My type?” He repeated, gesturing to his chest in a point. “Lawyers?”

 _Troublemakers_ , she thought but for once had the good sense to keep her mouth shut.

“Sure. Lawyers,” Rook answered, and hoped he was satisfied. She shrugged, glancing towards the kitchen, where it seemed her colleague was wrapping his business up. “At least you should know your way around the law.” She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “So I won’t be hearing about anything…illegal from you, will I, Mr Seed?” 

His eyes narrowed imperceptibly, but she didn’t get the sense that he was angry. Quite the contrary, for a sheer moment, he almost seemed to be… _enamoured_ with her. 

But she blinked, and her suave and too-slick companion was back in place. 

“Of course not, Deputy,” he replied smoothly. “I am very well aware of the limits and… _intricacies_ of the law.” 

She nodded, giving a meaningful glance over to the other side of the room, where the eldest Seed brother still stood vigilant and looming, and then to the peeking doorway to the kitchen. 

“I hope you share your knowledge with your family,” Rook murmured, thinking of the posters in the Sheriff’s office; warnings and figures they were told to keep a close watch on. “I wouldn’t want to see them dragged into the station.” 

Rather than the soft threat she had meant, he seemed to find that amusing. 

“If you do ever bring them into custody,” John began, teeth glinting, “I am quite confident that I would have them released within the hour.” 

In her head, she almost wanted to hold him to that.

“I’m glad you have such confidence in your abilities,” was what she said instead. He hummed, and sipped at the last of the lemonade that he had intended as an icebreaker, eyes never leaving hers. 

She shifted awkwardly, not liking how very focused he was on her. She had said that she was well-acquainted with his type, and she had meant it truthfully, but she wasn’t quite sure whether she could chalk John Seed up to the same stuff as the others. He obviously had his charm and charisma that would soothe and entice the unwary, but underneath the honey, she sensed a sharpness about him; a lethal point that she couldn’t help but feel was trained on her. 

“Rook.” 

She glanced up to see Staci Pratt approaching them, cheeks flushed and all but glowering at her companion. Behind him, she could see the calm-as-ever Joseph Seed approach the redhead brother and drag him downwards to press his forehead against his own in a strange display or greeting. 

“Pratt,” she nodded back at him. “Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah,” Pratt replied, still not looking at her. “It’s…sorted.” 

John cleared his throat and smiled at her colleague, but she noticed that he was now back to using the same snide and condescending smile that he had initially used on her. 

“Deputy Pratt, lovely to see you again,” the lawyer greeted, setting his empty glass down on the table. He didn’t offer his hand. 

“Seed, why am I not surprised to see you here?” Staci replied, hand still poised at his hip as he came to stand next to her. In fact, Rook noticed that he had stepped slightly in _front_ of her. “Your… ‘followers’ always seem to attract trouble. Can’t help but wonder why that is.” 

John sighed and shook his head. 

“That’s a pity; we do stress the importance of _virtues_ in the project,” he said, and Rook had the sense that he was enjoying a little private joke. “If they cause you any trouble, I’m sure Joseph would be more than happy to discuss it with you at our church.” He glanced back at her. “ _Both_ of you.” 

“That won’t be necessary,” Staci replied before she could have the chance to say anything. He grabbed her shoulder and began to nearly push her towards the door and away from their companion. “We’re done here, let’s go.” 

Rook frowned, and swatted his hand away, giving him a confused stare but not stopping. She looked over her shoulder and gave a short, dismissive wave at the other man - unwilling to be rude - and found that his eyes were trained on her, unnervingly so. 

“Enjoy your evening, Deputy,” John Seed bid her farewell softly, the hint of an anticipatory smile still on his lips. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.” 

The door swung shut behind her and she took a few extra steps to catch up to Pratt. 

“So? Is that it?” She asked, frowning. 

He shrugged, opening the driver side door and settling in as she followed suit. 

“Business owner doesn’t want us to do anything, and they’re not doing anything illegal. We can’t arrest him for being a bad gig,”  Pratt answered, starting the car. He cast another look over at the diner before he quickly made his way out of the parking lot, and she couldn’t help but feel like he was expecting them to be followed. “Fucking lunatics, the lot of them.” 

Rook glanced at him, but he was pointedly not looking at her. 

“Did he say something to you?” She asked curiously, opting to stare out of her window at the lights on the river’s surface. 

Staci made a short noise of acknowledgement, but his knuckles were white on the steering wheel.

“Normal shit,” he replied, and they fell silent. There was a pause, and she looked at him just as he swallowed audibly and spoke up. “Rook, I…I think it’s best if you stay away from them for a while. Just…stay away.” He winced, probably unhappy with how that sounded. “Especially John.” 

She raised an eyebrow, but tempered her immediate indignation. 

“Joseph said something, didn’t he?” Rook asked, but it was more of a statement than a question. 

Pratt’s fingers tightened further on the steering wheel as he scowled. 

“That’s not the issue, Rook,” he muttered, but he didn’t deny it either. “Look…Those guys? They’re shady, Rook. They act like the regular happy churchgoers but it’s bullshit, and something’s gonna give real soon and”- he cut himself off to give her a concerned glance- “and they’re _real_ fucking interested in you.” 

She thought of John Seed’s sharp eyes trained on her as she had left the building and she found that she wasn’t that surprised. 

“So just…Be careful, you got it?” Staci finished, staring back out the window and adamantly away from her. 

It was almost touching, really. Pratt hadn’t been rude to her, necessarily, but he hadn’t been the most welcoming of the group since she’d arrived. Yet here he was trying to warn her, clearly concerned about the interest this group allegedly had for her. 

She’d had her doubts before but perhaps Hope County really was the right choice for her transfer. 

“Got it,” Rook replied, and promptly pushed the thoughts of enthusiastic churchgoers and too-intense lawyers to the back of her mind.

**Author's Note:**

> If you’re wondering who called the police, it was Sharky. He was pissed that his Happy Hour was getting interrupted by Mojo Jojo.


End file.
